Although the structure of certain types of computing devices is relatively straightforward, assembly and maintenance of such computing devices are not trivial. For example, in the case of a server system, proper placement and configuration of fan components can be critical. Not only must a fan component be properly placed within a chassis of the server system, but it must also be the correct fan. However, because assembly and maintenance of server systems typically relies on a human technician, insertion of the incorrect fan component is a strong possibility due to human error.
For example, a fan component must be configured to have the correct fan direction for the particular server system. Typically, fan components are labeled with identifying information so that the technician can properly identify the fan component, and verify whether it is suitable for a server system of interest. However, if a user ignores or misreads the identifying information, then a wrong fan component can be installed in the server system.
One solution to these types of problems is an internal checking system, as illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a server system 100 configured for the hot-swapping of fan components. In particular, system 100 consists of a chassis 102 having a circuit board 104, such as a motherboard or other main board, disposed therein. The chassis 102 also includes components 106 insertable into chassis 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the components 106 each consist of one or more fans 108. Connectors 110 can be provided to electrically connect the components 108 to the circuit board 104. The connectors 110 can then be communicatively connected to a controller 112 (sometimes via an input/output (I/O) component 114) and other components disposed on the circuit board 104. To provide the internal checking, the fan 108 can provide signals indicating the presence of the fan (e.g., Fan Present1, Fan Present2). Furthermore, additional signals can also be provided to indicate a fan direction or other operational features of the fan. Based on these signals, the controller 112 can determine whether an error signal should be generated to indicate an incorrect fan configuration.
While systems such as those shown in FIG. 1 help in reducing installation errors, such system configurations have several drawbacks. First, additional electronics (e.g., memory) must be added to the component to store the requested information. Second, the number of lines for the connector and the circuit board must be increased to support such signals. Accordingly, such systems increase the complexity of server systems.